Breathtaking Venues for Weddings Found in the Great Western Catskills

Many a bride and groom have set themselves against the backdrop of the spectacular mountain vistas, open river valleys, and bucolic farmland of the western Catskills, to the delight of their family and guests.  Weddings here offer the perfect outdoor setting at an affordable price while giving guests the opportunity to feel like they’re on a mini-vacation with so much to do before and after the main event.

Wedding season in the mountains runs from mid-June through the mid-October. Choosing the season is highly personal. Early summers is resplendent with brilliant hues of green as the trees leaf out and as the hayfields green up, while perennial flower beds and fruit trees can be found flowering everywhere.  Summer’s warmth, evenings with shooting stars, and tables set with wildflowers appeal to many. Probably the most popular time, though, is fall with the sugar maples turning a kaleidoscope of colors from gold, to chartreuse, to pumpkin, to burgundy and bronze.  A few intrepid souls do choose a winter theme – a wedding that probably has guests riding a chair lift, skiing down a mountain, and dining fireside as part of the festivities. 

Many weddings are held here because couples are looking for more affordable options where they can do much of the planning themselves.  Do-It-Yourself weddings are intimate and fun and offer plenty of opportunity for personalization and savings.  Imagine: Rehearsal dinner hosted on the vintage train ride.  The bride arriving by horse drawn buggy or vintage car.  Ceremony next to a restored farmhouse out on the lawn.  Wedding reception in the old barn or under a tent, maybe even pondside. Local fiddlers tapping out atune.  A huge bonfire in a field maybe.  And starry, starry skies for sure.

Another aspect much appreciated by the happy couple and their guests are the great locavore food resources.  Creating the perfect menu featuring locally raised meats, cheese, and veggies is easy.  Plan for a pig roast, chicken BBQ if your wedding is more casual.  Local goat and sheep farm supply cheese, yogurt and organic milk to whip up delightful appetizers or desserts.  Grass fed beef, pork and poultry farms provide delectable main dishes – remember to work far enough in advance to place your order.  Organic vegetable farms provide everything from micro-greens to heirloom tomatoes to a bounty of root vegetables and squashes – as well as perennial flowers for the tables.

If you want a little help with the planning, wedding support services are growing in number. The quirks of hosting a wedding high up in the mountains is made easy when local planners know all the ins and outs to ensure everyone has the best time possible. Two local companies – Catskill Weddings www.catskillweddings.com, as well as Celebration Creations www.celebration-creations.net -- offer their skills and insider knowledge to help the happy couples out.

Most area lodging has a two night minimum, so wedding guests become vacationers as well. But they’ll never be at a loss for things to do or places to relax. Guests often amuse themselves with golf, fly fishing, biking on a rail trail or down a ski trail, horseback riding, kayaking, yoga, antiquing or simply lounging on the porch or next to a river or pond. 

Great Western Catskills Tourism

The Great Western Catskills is a three hour drive from New York City metro area, and a great central location for guests coming from eastern Ohio, to Maryland to Boston. To learn more about outdoor fun for wedding guests to have, Stay-and-Play Packages or any other activities in the western Catskills, log on to: www.greatwesterncatskills.com.  

A Roundup of What’s New in the Western Catskills.

Everyone wants to know what’s new in the mountains each year. We long for a reason to take a back road to a main street that hasn’t been visited in too long a while. Our quirky main streets continually beckon the intrepid business owners and shopkeepers to open their doors. Here is a roundup of the news we’ve heard of all around Delaware County.

Harpersfield is boasting a new horseback trail riding facility – the Circle A Ranch. Just south of that, Stamford gives rise to recreational opportunities indoors and out. Jam’s Indoor Golf lets folks with a hankerin’ practice their swing any time of the year. The Michael Kudish Nature Preserve pays homage to mother nature, featuring guided hikes, workshops, storytelling and more this summer – as well as great wild blueberry picking. Stamford is also home to miles of trails on private land that are open to the public for hiking. Access is easy from the village parking lot. Four different trail segments, many of which are suitable for beginner or novice hikers, make up the trail system. On the other side of Town, Roses Brook Road is host to new antique store Lyon Mountain Blue Barn Antiques.

Roxbury’s big news is that it has it’s own radio station - WROX. This spring saw the opening of a new art gallery – the Martin Lerner Gallery. This fall will see the opening of an expanded Roxbury Motel. Down the road in Margaretville, Harry and the Hippie Chic have moved down the block with their NY Rican meals. Pair this with Mi Lupita now serving prepared food in Fleischmanns and your tastebuds will never be wanting in the Catskills for ethnic flavor. The parking in the village across from Freshtown is finished and makes for a wonderful river walk with sitting benches. Most folks don’t know but this is also the kick off point for hiking with a trail running from the parking area up into the Catskill Park on the Millbrook Trail.

Andes has two new stores this summer – Andes Books and the Catskill Connection at Blink featuring jewelry. Tay Home has expanded with a Tea Bar and has been joined by Living Tree Botanical and their line of hand blended beauty products made with many local ingredients.

The Fisk Barn Antiques has expanded into Delhi and joins the Tractor Supply store at the main crossroads. Cross Roads Café is now serving dinner and soon will have a liquor license. Andes Hotel owners have their second location in Delhi. O’Neills Shire Pub is set to open early summer in the old Vastas’ location. Just down the road in Hamden is a new B&B Moonshadows and Memories in a lovely renovated, main street Victorian.

Franklin Stage Company is on hiatus this summer, but is still hosting smaller productions and music at Chapel Hall. There are new owners at the Beehive so remember to keep Franklin on the map for great food and entertainment. Stone and Thistle Farm in East Meredith has added a B&B suite so folks can stay at the farm and opt into one of their many programs, such as Farmer For a Day, or feast at their four course Saturday dinner at Fable featuring local foods.

Walton’s antique businesses now number 13 and make the main street here the place for great finds. Walton is becoming a destination for antiquing, especially with the Robinson’s Auction in town too. To entertain the shoppers and shop owners, Danny’s Restaurant has expanded with live music on Wednesday nights with their Rock the Lot events. Also stepping up to the live music plate is the Rainbow Lodge with their Rock the Dock on Friday nights. The lovely Stony Creek farm – veggies and livestock sustainably raised – is doing farm tours Saturdays at 11am.

Hancock will be home to a first ever two week long, world class, music festival at the West Branch International Music Festival and Academy. The festival begins July 18 and runs through August 1, 2010, with performances held in the main room of the West Branch Resort’s River Run Restaurant, whose 30 foot vaulted ceilings and hardwood and stone surfaces provide superb acoustics. Orchestral programs will take place at the lovely Hancock Area High School auditorium. Repertoires will include Grieg, Mozart, Sibelius and more.

With so many choices you can spend the entire summer checking them all out for yourself. Information on all these businesses and phone numbers or website links can be found on our website www.greatwesterncatskills.com, as well as a new feature - select dining location menus are now available off the website.

Great Western Catskills Tourism
The Great Western Catskills is an easy day trip from Albany or Binghamton and a great weekend getaway or vacation destination only 3 hours from the New York City metro area. To learn more about outdoor resources, equipment rentals, great dining, affordable local lodging, Stay-and-Play Packages and great events going on in the western Catskills, log on to: www.greatwesterncatskills.com. For free travel literature like our fishing map and antique and art gallery directory can be mailed out to you - call toll-free: (866) 775-4425 or e-mail: info@greatwesterncatskills.com.

Cannonsville Reservoir Opens for 2010 Season with New Launch Site

New York State's Great Western Catskills in Delaware County have long been a place for those who know the secrets of its waters. The best fly fishing spots, early season high water kayaking on the rivers, fishing from canoes on the reservoirs. What had been lacking are large bodies of water for recreational use, until last year. What changed was the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's opening up of most of the Cannonsville Reservoir for recreational kayaking, canoeing, sculls, and for small sailboats, like Sunfish. Last year over 400 people went through the process of getting a permit and steam cleaning their boats, and got to paddle on these pristine waters.

Historically, the City's reservoirs have only been open to fishing boats under permit. After much urging from the local communities the City agreed to run a pilot program on the western reservoir, the Cannonsville, which runs from south of Walton west and south towards Deposit and Hancock. This is a three year pilot program running from 2009 to 2011, after which the City will assess the benefits and local impact and determine whether to keep it open or possibly expand it.

Two steps are required to access the Cannonsville. First the boater will need a DEP Access Permit, which you can get online at www.nyc.gov or at local sports stores. Second is the Recreational Boat Tag, which you get once your boat has been steam cleaned. All craft must be steam cleaned prior to being placed on the water and permits affixed to the boats. The Recreational Boat Tag will last from 1 to 7 days. Full season Boat Tags will be issued by the DEP's Downsville office and will permit owners to leave their boats locked up at launch areas. Trailers are not allowed in the water and there is no camping at these sites.

For the 2010 season the NYC DEP has opened a ninth launch site at Roods Creek, on the southern side of the reservoir. This provides a second launch site for sailboats. Roods Creek joins the eight original launch sites at Mormon Hollow, Dry Brook, Speedwell, Patterson, Apex, Fish Brook Beers Brook, and Dryden Brook.

Boat Cleaning

Five boat cleaning businesses will be in operation in the towns surrounding the reservoir, in Downsville, Deposit, Trout Creek and Walton, and are detailed on the free brochure on detailing the new pilot program. The cleaning process will take about 20 minutes per boat, so make sure you give yourself enough time if you have a few boats. These vendors can issue a temporary pass and get their watercraft steam cleaned. When you visit these locations, please remember to support these local vendors and purchase your supplies from them. For those wishing to obtain a full season pass, steam cleaning services will be provided by the DEP Downsville Operation's office located on NYS Route 30. Call 607-363-7009 to schedule an appointment.

Boat Rentals

Here are a few options for renting boats, though you'll still need to have the boat steam cleaned. Als Sport Store in Downsville will be renting out canoes and kayaks. Call them at 607-326-3500 or visit www.alssportstore.com. Catskill Outfitters in Walton will be renting kayaks and canoes. Call them at 607-865-8827 or visit www.catskilloutfitters.com. Border Water Outfitters in Hancock will be renting canoes and they can be reached at 607-637-4296 or at www.borderwateroutfitters.com. Old Town Kayaks in Halcottsville will have both kayaks and canoes available. Call them at 607-326-4266 or visit their website at www.pleasantpheasantfarm.com. Catskill Outback Adventures has kayaks and canoes to rent out to the public, complete with car top accessories for transporting the boat. Call them for more info at 845-254-9888 or visit their website at www.catskilloutback.com.

Access is from sunrise to sunset and will run from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus weekend. The Delaware County tourism office is providing a brochure outlining all the information you need to know on the rules and regulations for the Cannonsville. You can receive a copy by calling 866-775-4425 and leaving your name and address or by emailing your request to info@greatwesterncatskills.com. You can download the brochure on the tourism website www.greatwesterncatskills.com.

Great Western Catskills Tourism

The Great Western Catskills is an easy day trip from New York City metro area, Albany, or Binghamton and a great weekend getaway or vacation destination for all. To learn about other great outdoor resources, Stay-and-Play Packages, camping in the western Catskills, and great events in our towns and villages, log on to: www.greatwesterncatskills.com. For a free travel literature including the brochure on the Cannonsville Reservoir, public fishing access map, antique trails, and other literature, call toll-free: (866) 775-4425 or e-mail: info@greatwesterncatskills.com.